Electrode for gas or vapor electric apparatus.



APPLICATION FILED PEB.5, 1907.

Patented Mar. 24, 191i N VE N TOR WITNESSES UNITED STATES ZTENT OFFICE.

MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA-TION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRODE FOR GAS OR VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Original application filed February 14, 1903, Serial No. 143,317.Divided and this application filed February 5, 1907. Serial No. 355,845,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MAX VON Rucunmo- HAUS'EN,a subject of the Emperor of Ger many, and resident 'of Paris, France,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrodes for Gasor Vapor Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is applicable to the general class of gas or vaporelectric apparatus invented by Peter Cooper Hewitt and described andshown in certain patents issued to him on the 17th day of- September,1901. In apparatus of this class whether used for the purpose of givinglight or for any other purpose, it has been customary, when foundconvenient, to use as the material for one or more of the electrodes aconducting fluid such as mercury. During the operation of the apparatussome of this mercury is vaporized and afterward cooled, usually in aspecial cooling chamber. Hitherto no special means have been devised forsecuring an accurate re-distribution of the mercury after thecondensation due to cooling, although devices have been suggested forcarrying some of the mercury which is carried away from the negativeelectrode back to the said electrode after condensation,

say, through a special tube provided for the purpose.

The present invention aims at providing a more accurately gagedredistribution of the mercury, as will fully appear hereinafter. Forexample, I may provide suitable pockets for containing the severalelectrodes of mer-, cury or other conducting fluid, such pockets beingdevised so as to contain the proper amount of fluid to serve as anelectrode and to present within the chamber of the apparatus a suitableamount of surface for the purpose for which the apparatus is designed. Imay then so dispose the cooling chamber in which the greater part of thecondensation takes place with relation to the several pockets as toprovide for a return of the mercury which may have been Withdrawn fromthe said pockets during the operation of the lamp, or by any meanswhatsoever to the said pockets in succession, so that any pocket whichshall have received its proper amount of mercury, or other conductingfiuid will, on the entrance of any more fluid, of condensation overflowand transfer the overflow to the next pocket and soon until all thepockets in the series are suitably filled. I may accomplish this by gving to the apparatus asuitable slope runnmg from the cooling orcondensing chamber downward whereby the force of gravity will carry thecondensed vapors from pocket to pocket as described. Should it bedesired to utilize a non-fluid or solid substance as one of theelectrodes, or a fluid of another character, or should it for any reasonbe undesirable to deliver the condensed "apor to one of the electrodes,the tube may be turned away from the general downward slope and may thusbe removed from the path of flow. It is now known that apparatus of thisclass is often provided with a considerable number of electrodes. Forexample, a well-known form of apparatus contalns a single negativeelectrode and a plurallty of positive electrodes, while a supplementalelectrode is often employed as one terminal of a direct current circuitadapted to maintain the passage of current of one direction through theapparatus.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a section of a gas or vapor electric apparatus embodying myinvention: Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are similar views of modifi cations.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a container adapted to inclose aconducting gas or vapor and being provided with pockets 2, 3, 4, 5 and6, as shown. These pockets are adaptedfito contain a conducting fluidwhich in this instance is represented as mercury, and the pockets 2, 3and 5, may be assumed to contain the mercury constituting positiveelectrodes, while the pocket 4, may contain the mercury constituting thenegative electrode, and the pocket 6 may contain the mercuryconstituting the supplemental electrode. Suitable lead wires areconnected through the walls of the pockets with the electrodes containedtherein. It is unnecessary to give in detail the operation of anapparatus of this sort further than to say that such operation has forone of its effects the vaporization of a portion of the conducting fluidand the circulation of the vapor through the apparatus.

,obstructions As a feature of the apparatus, a cooling chamber, as 7, isgenerally provided, and in this instance I locate such chamber at thesummit of the apparatus, and incline the tubular portion 1 with respectto the said cooling chamber so as to give to the mercury which iscondensed therein a tendency to descend along the tube by the action ofgravity. In its descent the condensed vapor will first enter the ocket2, and in case that pocket has been depleted of a portion of itsmercury, the descending mercury will now refill it, and when suchrefilling has taken place, the pocket will overflow and the mercury willpass into the next pocket in the series and so on. In this way theseveral pockets are maintained full, or nearly so, at all times, and themercury which is withdrawn by the operation of the apparatus isre-distributed in such a Way as to restore normal conditions.

In Fig. 2 the same principle is illustrated, the pockets in thisinstance being two in number, one of them, as 8, containing the positiveelectrode, and the other, as 9, the negative electrode. In bothinstances, suitable lead-wires are connected through the walls of thepocket with the electrodes contained therein.

Fig. 3 illustrates a construction in which one of the electrodes, saythe supplemental electrode, appearing at 10, is of some solid substancesuch as iron. The electrode 10 is arranged ina raised portion of thetube and is not subject to being fed by the downward flow of theconducting fluid, as is the case with the other electrodes.

Short circuits between the electrodes dur-. ing the transfer of fluidfrom one pocket to another may be prevented by introducing just inadvance of each pocket, as illustrated at 11, 11. The fluid on strikingthese obstructions will be momentarily checked and on leaving them willbe accelerated so that there is not likely to be a continuous stream ofmercury between two successive pockets.

The means already described are merely illustrative of typical forms ofdevices whereby the present invention may be carried out. Many otherembodiments of the invention might be made without substantial departurefrom the principle of this invention. One such example is illustrated inFig. 4, wherein the negative electrode is represented as a puddle ofmercury, 12, connected to a suitable lead-wire, and the positiveelectrode is shown as a column, 13, of mercury inclosed within anopen-mouthed tubu-' lar extension, 14, of the container 1. The open endof the tube 14 terminates inside a vessel, 15, containing mercury, andthe positive lead-wire is connected with this vessel or with the mercurytherein in any suitable manner. The column of mercury 13 is maintainedat its proper height by atmospheric pressure so as to present a suitableamount of electrode surface within the chamber of the container 1.Another tubular extension, 16, of the container 1 is adapted to receivethe mercury which is condensed in the cooling end 7 of the container.Here ravity carries down the condensed vapor t roug the tube 16, thearrangement being such that the mercury near the top of the tube passesdown in the form of drops until it meets the solid column of mercurywhich is maintained by atmospheric pressure at a certain height,inasmuch as the tube 16 dips into a vessel 17 containing mercury. I leadfrom the vessel 17 a pipe 18 connected with a suitable pump, 19, beyondwhich a pipe, 20, containing a stop cock, 21, terminates above thevessel 15. When the level of the mercury in the column 13 becomes toolow, the ump 19 is put in operation, the stop-coo: 21 is opened, and thelevel is raised by adding to the height of the mercury in the vessel 15.Any excessive depletion of the mercury constituting the electrode 12 maybe compensated for by carrying on the pumping process until some of themercury from the top of the column 13 overflows in the direction of theelectrode 12.

The circulation of the mercury and the consequent reconstruction of theelectrodes in the apparatus illustrated in F ig. 4, is manifestly notdependent upon the condensation of mercury, as the pump 19 may beoperated to cause a circulation of the mercury often enough to keep theelectrodes in their normal condition quite independently of thecondensation in the cooling chamber 7. Whatever excess of mercury maythus be introduced into the container will pass beyond the electrode 12,over into the top of the tube 16.

This application is a division of my application Serial Number 143,317,filed February 14, 1903.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vapor electric device, the combination of a container, multiplepositive electrodes of mercury, an intermediate mercury negativeelectrode, and means whereby fluid transferred from one to another ofsaid electrodes passes in separate and disconnected portions.

2. In a vapor electric device, a container, a plurality of main positiveelectrodes located therein in a continuous series, and a negativeelectrode interposed between at least two of said positive electrodes.

3. In a vapor electric device, a container, a plurality of main positiveelectrodes therein and a negative electrode interposed between at leasttwo of said positive electrodes.

4 A vapor rectifier comprising an exhausted container and a plurality ofpositive electrodes located in a continuous series,

and a negative electrode interposed between ous series at the bottom ofthe incline and at least two of said positive electrodes. a negativeelectrode interposed between at 5. A vapor rectifier comprising anexleast two of said positive electrodes. hausted container, a pluralityof positive Signed at Paris, France, this 22d day of 5 electrodes and amain negative electrode in- January, A. D. 1907.

tiexrpzsiigtlhjgzvseen at least two of said posi- M AX VONREOKLINGHAUSEN- 6. A vapor rectifier comprising an in- Witnesses: clinedexhausted container and a plurality JACK H. BAKER,

10 of positive electrodes located in a continu- H. O. Come.

